Lancaster dairy farm fire caused $1.2M in damage

Fire officials are estimating that $1.2 million worth of damage was caused in the four-alarm fire that destroyed a barn at Manny’s Dairy Farm on Brockelman Road Saturday.

Deputy Fire Chief Michael J. Hanson said the damage estimate is the highest he has seen in his 22 years as a firefighter in town.

Firefighters were able to stop the blaze from hitting the farm’s slaughterhouse, which was connected to the barn.

No cause for the blaze has been determined and results could be inconclusive because of the massive damage, Deputy Chief Hanson said. Fire investigators from the Lancaster Fire Department and state fire marshal’s office are continuing their investigation, he said.

The blaze, first called in about 1:15 p.m. Saturday, destroyed a one-and-a-half-story barn at the farm, at 237 Brockelman Road. No one was injured.

It appears no livestock was lost, but the matter is still being reviewed, officials said.

The barn was used for processing animal products.

The farm is owned by Manny and Maria Moreira.

Roughly 75 firefighters from 21 area fire departments helped battle the blaze and contained damage to other buildings. Firefighters remained at the scene until roughly 8:45 p.m.